The Two Faces of a Venue Sourcing Strategy

Why Agencies & Corporates Need Different Strategies (But Often Don’t Have One)

Corporate event planners and Agencies have different KPIs, priorities, and booking styles – so why do they often use the same venue sourcing strategy?

Venue sourcing is the foundation of successful meetings and events, yet many organisations fail to differentiate between the needs of Agencies and Corporate planners. While Agencies thrive on efficiency, scalability, and margin control, Corporates must prioritise compliance, governance, and internal stakeholder alignment. Despite these distinct priorities, both often rely on the same sourcing strategies, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

EDGE Venues’, Managing Director, Scott Ford, takes us through the diverging needs of Agencies and Corporates to help us understand more.

Agencies: Efficiency, Margins, and Scale

Agencies operate in a high-volume, high-speed environment where time is money. Their venue sourcing priorities include:

• Speed & efficiency. Agencies need rapid turnaround on venue options to remain competitive.
• Margin control. Profitability hinges on negotiated rates, commissions, and value-added services.
• Scalability. Agencies handle multiple clients and require a flexible, repeatable sourcing model.
• Client expectations. They must balance securing the best deal with delivering bespoke solutions for different clients.

To achieve this, Agencies often rely on sophisticated venue sourcing technology, supplier relationships, and bulk-buying power to drive efficiencies and maintain a competitive edge.

Corporates: Compliance, Governance, and Stakeholder Buy-In

Corporate event planners face a different set of challenges. Their venue sourcing priorities include:

• Compliance & governance. Many industries, such as pharmaceuticals and finance, have strict regulations around venue selection and spending.
• Internal approvals. Planners must align with procurement policies, budget constraints, and multiple stakeholders.
• Risk management. Legal, security, and duty-of-care considerations play a significant role in venue selection.
• Long-term partnerships. Corporates value consistency, preferred supplier agreements, and relationships over transactional deals.

Unlike Agencies, Corporate planners may not have the same urgency or volume of bookings, but their decisions often require greater scrutiny and internal alignment.

Why One-Size-Fits-All Venue Sourcing Doesn’t Work

Despite these contrasting needs, many organisations apply a uniform approach to venue sourcing. This can lead to:

• Misaligned expectations. Using the same tools and processes can frustrate corporate planners who need more control over compliance or agencies who need faster turnaround.
• Inefficient use of technology. Venue sourcing platforms may be designed for speed (ideal for agencies) but lack compliance tracking (essential for corporates).
• Lost value. Corporates might overlook commercial advantages agencies leverage, while agencies may neglect the deeper due diligence corporates require.

What’s the Solution? Smarter Venue Sourcing Tech

Venue sourcing technology must evolve to cater to both audiences. A dual approach should include:

• Customisable workflows. Platforms should allow agencies to streamline efficiency while enabling corporates to embed governance and approval processes.
• Data & analytics. Real-time insights tailored to different user needs—cost savings for agencies, compliance tracking for corporates.
• Hybrid supplier management. Flexibility to support agencies’ dynamic, multi-client bookings while also enabling corporates to establish long-term partnerships.
• AI & automation. Predictive analytics for agencies, automated approval workflows for corporates.

Rethinking Venue Sourcing Strategy for Maximum Impact

What’s the moral of the story here? Agencies and corporates approach venue sourcing with fundamentally different mindsets, yet too often they are forced into the same sourcing strategy.

By recognising and addressing these differences – through smarter tech, better processes, and strategic alignment – both sides can unlock greater value, efficiency, and compliance in their venue sourcing strategies.

That’s where EDGE Venues comes in. Built for the industry, by the industry, EDGE understands the unique needs of both corporate event planners and agencies. Designed to balance efficiency with governance, it provides the flexibility agencies demand while ensuring the compliance and control corporates require. It empowers event professionals to source smarter, faster, and with confidence. Now is the time to rethink your approach and discover a platform that truly works for you.

Sign up today to access a global network of top-quality venues and start planning your next event with confidence.

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